Tim Bluhm (The Mother Hips)

Crazy Horse, while Ladyblood hints at Dylans eccentric stream of consciousness, and the playful To Be Free Is To Be Lonesome offers echoes of the Dead. While Bluhm often writes from the perspective of characters hes created and frequently draws song ideas from his vivid dreams, its not difficult to hear whispers of his brush with death and his arduous comeback on the album, too. We all get humbled by this life he sings on the dazzling A Second Chance (Gone With The Windshield), while the Petty-esque Maybe Next Times yearns to make the most of the days were given, with Bluhm confessing, I know theres always next summer / but Im running out of maybe next times. I have a really active dream life when I sleep, and I think theres a lot of profound stuff that happens in dreams that we could never get to with our conscious brains, he explains. You could say its escapism to write about these characters and stories you dream up, but I think it can also be just the opposite. Sometimes you can better explore your own challenges by having them come out of a characters mouth. In the end, TITLE isnt an album about dreams or broken bones or near-death experiences, though. At its core, its a series of character studies all filtered through Bluhms singular voice and charismatic personality. Hes grown and evolved immeasurably in the decade since his last solo release, both as an artist and a man, and through all the pain and loss hes gained perspective and maturity without sacrificing even an ounce of passion. While his injuries may mean hell never walk or hike or climb the way he once did, TITLE makes it clear that, through it all, Tim Bluhm hasnt missed a step.